Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Writing (01/11/07)
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TITLE: WORDS | Previous Challenge Entry
By Valerie Routhieaux
01/14/07 -
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Words are the one thing man cannot live without. They are so important that God gave us His living Word so that we can know His heart.
Words have the ability to incite a sense of adventure, danger, mystery, and anticipation. Words incite passion: love, anger, and satisfaction. Words move mountains, and words set the sinner free.
There is a lot that can be said about words. Consider the craft of writing. Writing is to the writer what sculpting is to a sculptor. A sculptor looks at a piece of wood or marble and sees the finished product. A writer has an idea and sees a finished work and it all starts with a word. When put together in the right way words spark images of life to our imaginations. Good writing is more than a string of words on a page. For the serious writer it is a passion to tell a story. Whether fiction or non-fiction it is done in such a way that causes the reader to keep turning the page until the last word has been read.
There are many reasons and ways to write. I’ve read many articles from authors about how they write. I’ve come to the conclusion that at least in this one area of the craft there is no right or wrong way to write.
My journey in the written word started at the tender age of eight. There are two things I love more than anything. They are watching television and reading. Both fire the imagination with words and images. It was while I was watching television that I started my journey. I loved westerns. My favorites were Bonanza at the top of the list, followed by Big Valley, and High Chaparral. I know that gives my age away just a little bit. Anyway it was an episode of Big Valley that I absolutely hated and thought I could write it better.
And isn’t that what this craft is all about? Doing it better? Finding a way to make an old story better? King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes said that there isn’t anything new under the sun, and that works the same for stories as well. So we do our best to improve on old themes and give them a new shine.
As for how I write. I begin writing when I sit down at the computer and lay my fingers on the keyboard, and then with a prayer for guidance I start.
Many people put a lot of thought into what they are going to write before they sit down to do so. Though I have learned that art as well, I am more comfortable writing and letting God work out the details through my fingers.
Once I have the story finished then the real work begins. It’s time to bring my characters fully to life with personality, purpose, and attitude. It is also the time I do most of my research. This may seem backwards to a lot of people, but I need to know what the story is about before I work with it.
Writing is a trade, and just like any other we need tools to do a good job. Our tools may not be a hammer used to drive nails home, instead our tools are books that provide invaluable information about everything from story structure to how to find an editor or agent to publish our words.
If you have a true passion for the written word you will want to do the job right. So get out your resources and get ready to let your words become the image that sparks imaginations everywhere.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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